Jan. 20, 2026
BY JOHN BAILEY
jbailey@ccunitedway.com
“We're not going to let you walk by yourself.”
Dytisha Watkins along with her daughter and granddaughter,
heard and felt this message throughout their four-month stay at The Salvation Army of Greater Hickory’s Shelter of Hope last year.
According to the NC Balance of State Continuum of Care Point in Time homeless count, there were 32 families with children facing homelessness in Catawba…
News
Dec. 22, 2025
BY JOHN BAILEY
jbailey@ccunitedway.com
Generosity, collaboration and kindness are the hallmarks of the annual Catawba County Christmas Bureau, a collaborative effort among local nonprofits and public agencies to provide toys, clothing, coats and food to children and teenagers in need of assistance during the holiday season.
This year’s event wrapped up last week, Dec. 18, and served more than 850 families and approximately 2,…
Dec. 12, 2025
BY JOHN BAILEY
jbailey@ccunitedway.com
Catawba County Government employee Mary Morrison is the 2025 Catawba County United Way’s Car Giveaway winner.
She was one of 10 finalists drawn each week since September by RLI-CPA Certified Public Accountants for a chance to win a new car donated by Paramount Automotive Group in Hickory. On Thursday, each finalist had a chance to start a car with a key pulled at random at Paramount.…
Nov. 20, 2025
BY JOHN BAILEY
jbailey@ccunitedway.com
An abandoned house.
No walls in some places.
Holes in the floor.
A tarp for the roof.
But it’s the only place you can call home.
More than 11,600 individuals were homeless last year in North Carolina, according to data from the 2024 HUD Continuum of Care Homeless count. In Catawba County that number was 449, including 32 families with children the NC Point in Time count data said.…
Nov. 19, 2025
BYJOHN BAILEY
jbailey@ccunitedway.com
What does it mean to be hungry in Catawba County?
Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week (held annually the week before Thanksgiving) is an annual outreach bringing people together across the country to draw attention to these issues.
Catawba County has dozens of nonprofits and public agencies that address these issues every day.
This week, Catawba County United Way will share…
Nov. 10, 2025
NIGHT
THE SALVATION ARMY OF GREATER HICKORY
The Salvation Army will be operating their White Flag nights like previous years.
In weather 32 degrees or below, it will allow those on the outside to come into the Shelter of Hope at 8 p.m. (after staff is able to turn the Dining Room around for them to go in there). The shelter will take anyone in, as long as they have not been banned for physical violence and/or on the sexual…
Oct. 30, 2025
BY JOHN BAILEY
jbailey@ccunitedway.com
Addressing the issue of hunger, youth outreach and crisis assistance were the primary concerns during the Catawba County United Way’s third grant cycle of the year.
In September, the Catawba County United Way (CCUW) board approved the Small Businesses Love Big grant committee’s recommendation to allocate $17,500 to fund 6 local non-profit agencies.
The CCUW’s Small Businesses Love Big…
Oct. 29, 2025
Sharing Resources - recently, the Catawba County United Way shared a list of local food resources in Catawba County. It included food pantries along with places individuals and families can get a hot meal. This list was extensive, but not complete.
As we get closer to the real possibility that SNAP benefits may not be distributed in November, we'd like to ask our followers who know of any other food resources to please share…
Oct. 21, 2025
BY JOHN BAILEY
jbailey@ccunitedway.com
Being a teenager can be challenging.
Being a teen from a family struggling financially can seem impossible.
Being a teen who is homeless, can feel hopeless.
This is where the Catawba County United Way (CCUW) steps in to help every December with its Teen Christmas program.
This outreach supports families with teens (ages 13–17) during Christmas with $50 in gift cards. In 2024, the program…
Oct. 16, 2025
Regardless of how you define the roots of poverty in any community, it tends to boil down to the issue of access – access to education, access to housing, access to jobs, access to food, access to healthcare, access to transportation.
All these issues on their own or together can set a person on a downward spiral in life.
And every year, the Catawba County United Way (CCUW) works to help eliminate poverty in an equitable,…